ADHD can cause these types of intrusive thoughts because it weakens the brain's executive functions responsible for controlling your emotions and behaviors. This is why people with OCD who also has ADHD can typically have more cases of intrusive thoughts than those with another comorbidity.
Intrusive thoughts can be persistent and disruptive in people with ADHD due to the underlying neurobiological differences in the brain. Individuals with ADHD often experience difficulty regulating their attention, leading to a constant stream of thoughts that are difficult to control.
Thirty to 50 percent of individuals with ADHD also have a learning disability, difficulty regulating emotions (anxiety, mood disorder), anger, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and/or a tic disorder. It is essential to identify each problem and treat it appropriately.
Racing thoughts in ADHD can be a mental manifestation of restlessness, a result of your brain's unique self-regulation processes. While sometimes confused with racing thoughts in bipolar disorder, an ADHD active mind may last for an hour, a day, or a couple of days.
Differences in emotions in people with ADHD can lead to 'shutdowns', where someone is so overwhelmed with emotions that they space out, may find it hard to speak or move and may struggle to articulate what they are feeling until they can process their emotions.
Research has shown that in children with ADHD, the prefrontal cortex matures more slowly than typically developing kids. It is also slightly smaller in size. Similarly, the cerebellum, hippocampus, and amygdala are also thought to be smaller in volume in kids with ADHD.
Perceived compulsions might be based in ADHD more than OCD, as individuals with ADHD often have to create specific environments and structures to function. Distractibility can be seen as a positive in light of obsessive thoughts and compulsions.
OCD has been mistaken as ADHD by many doctors since both diagnoses share a number of the same symptoms—anxiety, distractibility, perfectionism, impulsive behaviors and impaired executive functioning.
OCD appears to lie at one end of this spectrum, while ADHD exists at the other. This is surprising considering that over 35 studies have reported that an average of 21% of children and 8.5% of adults with OCD actually have ADHD as well.
Stimulant meds, like Ritalin, that are prescribed for ADHD aren't effective for OCD. SSRI anti-depressant meds prescribed for OCD aren't usually helpful for ADHD symptoms although they might be prescribed if there is a co-exsisitng condition of depression.
Intrusive thoughts can be a symptom of anxiety, depression, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
While perhaps less common, a person with ADHD may be misdiagnosed with OCD. A person may develop sophisticated compensatory strategies to offset their attention and focus difficulties. For example, a person may become obsessively particular about their external environment (to manage focus issues).
However, stimulant medication used to treat ADHD can sometimes make OCD worse. Patients with ADHD and OCD sometimes find that stimulants enable them to focus more on their obsessions. At other times, though, ADHD medication positively impacts OCD. Frequently, it neither increases nor decreases OCD symptoms.
An individual with OCD may avoid or become inattentive to stimuli that cause stress and anxiety, whereas a person with ADHD will hyperfocus on a stimulating task and can even lose track of time. Typical OCD manifestations such as cleaning and organizing items can actually be a coping mechanism for those with ADHD.
The roots of hyperfocus in ADHD relationships are complex, but the end result is often clear: While some partners may feel smothered, many get swept away by the over-the-top adoration. Then, when the obsessive love fades — or, more commonly, ends abruptly — the other partner feels abandoned and keenly bereft.
However, ADHD stimulant medication can sometimes make OCD worse. Patients with ADHD and OCD sometimes find that stimulants make it difficult to focus on anything but their obsessions.
People with OCD tend to have obsessive thoughts, which they try to prevent by engaging in repetitive rituals, or compulsions. In contrast, a person with ADHD typically presents with excessive hyperactivity and impulsivity and difficulty focusing on one task at a time.
People struggling with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are often misdiagnosed as having other psychological conditions. One of the most common misdiagnoses for this population is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). This diagnostic problem arises for two reasons.
Untreated ADHD in adults can lead to mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. This is because ADHD symptoms can lead to focus, concentration, and impulsivity problems. When these problems are not managed effectively, they can lead to feelings of frustration, irritability, and low self-esteem.
Though brain scans cannot yet reliably diagnose ADHD, some scientists are using them to identify environmental and prenatal factors that affect symptoms, and to better understand how stimulant medications trigger symptom control vs. side effects.
These may include hyperfocus, resilience, creativity, conversational skills, spontaneity, and abundant energy. Many people view these benefits as “superpowers” because those with ADHD can hone them to their advantage. People with ADHD have a unique perspective that others may find interesting and valuable.